Telephone metering system



May 14; 1940. F. E1 AL TELEPHONE METERING SYSTEM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 25, 1957 INVENTORS FRIEDRICH L/LL BY WALTER P/NELL ATTORNEY.

May 14, 1940. F. LILL El AL 2.200.796

TELEPHONE METERING SYSTEM Filed qan. 25. 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS mean/cu L/LL v WALTER PINELL A ATTORNEY.

May 14, 1940. F. LILL ET AL 2.200.796

TELEPHONE METERING SYSTEM I med Jan. 25, 1931 :s Sheets-Sheet s Fla. 4

um! 26h as 6210 f figmflr INVENTORS FRIEDRICH L ILL WALTER P/NELL BY Patented May 14, 1940 i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TELEPHONE METERING SYSTEM Application January 25, 1937, Serial No. 122,154 In Germany January 27, 1936 18 Claims.

The invention relates to telephone systems in which subscribers meters arranged in the exchange are operated during a. call and more especially to such systems in which the metersare influenced by a meter advancing device for example, an impulse sender at relatively short intervals of time which according to the trafiic direction and thus according to the value of the call, can be of varying durations. If in such systems subscribers stations are to be provided with fee indicators, difiiculties are involved since it isnot feasible to operate these fee indicators simultaneously with the meters, for the very frequent application of a potential operating the fee indicator at the subscribers station while a call is in progress causes inconvenience to the calling subscriber.

The invention aims at enablin fee indicators to be operated efiiciently at subscribers? stations while avoiding any inconvenience to the subscriber and achieves this in that switching means are provided, which when a call becomes chargeable, enable the fee indicator at the subscribers station to be influenced at a different time and/or by impulses whose number is less than the number of impulses operating the subscribers meter at the exchange.

According to theinvention the fee indicator of a subscribers station engaged in the callcan be advanced at the end of the call by the same as.

or by a smaller number of impulses than the number of impulses operating the meter in the exchange during the call.

The operation by a smaller number of impulses enables a more rapid release of the connecting devices inthe exchange which haveto be maintained set while the metering impulses are passing. It can, however, only be applied in practice when strict correspondence between the value indicated at the fee indicator and the value in-di-. cated at the subscribers meter does not matter because, since for each- 10, 20, or more steps of the meter in the exchange the fee indicator is only advanced one step; the value indicated at the fee indicator is higher or lower than that indicated at the subscribers meter according as to when the criterion for advancing the fee indicator is given, 1. e., either on commencing or ter minating a group of 10, 20 or more metering impulses.

If the advancing of the fee indicator is effected by a number of impulses less than the number of impulses influencing the meter in the exchange the fee indicator can also be advanced during the call. The transitory application of potential to calling subscriber and serves to indicate to the subscriber the advancing of the fee indicator and the amount of the fee to be paid.

According to the invention one and the same meter advancing device can operate both the sub. scriber,s meter in the exchangeand also the fee indicator. Alternatively, of course, two metering advancing devices can be provided, one for the subscribers meter and the second for the fee indicator.

Embodiments of the invention are represented in the drawings, comprising Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive. Fig. 1 shows by way of example a subscribers station and a line therefor extending to an exchange; a fee indicator is shown at the substation and a subscribers meter at the exchange, together with controlling devices at the exchange for operating the fee indicator and the meter in accordance with the invention. Figs. 2, 3 and 4 disclose modified controlling arrangements. All details which do not help to explain the invention have been omitted for the sake of clarity.

It is assumed that the call becomes chargeable from the moment at which the called party replies. Naturally the instant at which a call becomes chargeable can occur at other time, for example when the calling impulse becomes operative, on seizing a connecting device over the pre-' selecting stage or stages, or when the calling subscriber transmits the first numerical impulse train.

In the case of the embodiment according to Fig. 1 when the preselector of the calling subscriber Tn has become set on a free connecting device the following circuit, which guards the connecting device chosen, is set upafter the T-relay has energized; negative, off normal contact of the preselector, 2t, winding II of relay T, 3, 4, relay C, 570 and positive. The speaking leads are switched through at contacts 613 and it. At contact 8i the subscribers meter GZ is connected to the special wiper 9. Relays A and B are energized in the feeding circuit. The slow-to-release relay VI is energised over 10a and this holds relay C over contact llv l independently of contact 510 which opens on the first numerical impulse, at contacts l2u| and I31)! prepares for the impulse transmission to the meter advancing device Z1 and at contact Mvl prepares the circuit for the driving magnet Dzf of the meter advancing device. Contact l5'ul is opened in the circuit of the release magnet Da. of the meter advancing device.

The discriminator ML is set by the impulses transmitted by the calling subscriber which characterize the traflic direction and thereby the value of the call and this switch on its first step closes contact Hikml and opens contact I 'Ikml. It will be assumed that the call is directed to the second fee zone and accordingly wipers 22 and 23 of the switch ML are set on contacts 24 and 25. When the called subscriber replies relay Z1" is energized in a manner which will not be described in detail by the application of negative battery to the lower speakingnlead. Relay Zr closes contact l8zr, I921", and 20.21. r

The meter advancing device Z1 is assumed to consist in the present embodiment of a rotary switch with a larger number of contacts. Two wipers zfl and zfll and z'f2 and afl2, etc., are provided for each trafiic direction and hence for every possible value which can be charged. The subscribers meter in the exchange is operated over the wipers 2f! and 2]2 and the contact banks associated with them while 2]! l and zf|2,'etc., are provided for controlling the" fee indicators; It will further be assumed that for every 10 impulses to be transmitted to the subscribers meter one impulse is transmitted to the fee indicator so that on transmitting 1; 11, 21, etc; metering im-;

pulses one impulse is transmitted to and operates the fee indicator, and that moreover, the fee indicator is influenced during the progress of a call.

As soon as the fee becomes chargeable, which is assumed to be when the called subscriber replies, the circuit for magnet D27 is closed at contact 202T; negative, 2027, Mvl, I Skml, Dfz, interrupter 2| and positive. All the wipers of the meter advancing device (metering impulse sender) are stepped forward at intervals of time determined by the interrupter 2|. When the wipers of the metering impulse sender pass on to the first contact the subscribers meter in the exchange and the fee indicator are operated simultaneously. The circuit for the subscriber's meter is as follows: positive, 26, 2 2, 24, 22, I827,

lZvl, 9, GZ, 8t, I, and negative. For the purpose of influencing the fee indicator GA relay Z is energized by connecting positive battery 'to the guarding and holding lead over a low resistance (VR): positive, contact 28111, VR, 21, zflZ, 25, 23, I921, l3vl, 4, 3, relay Z in parallel with winding II of relay T, 2t, and negative. Relay Z closes its contacts 292, 30a, and M2. Over contact 292 and 302 alternating current is simultaneously applied to both speaking leads and thereby the fee indicator GA at the subscribers'station is operated. A control meter KZ is energized over contact 3lz.

Since the wiper zf|2 remains on contact 21 until magnet D2 is next energized by the interrupter 2| relay Z is prevented from energizing and thereby breaking the speaking leads at contacts 322 and 332 for a prolonged period in that the slow-to-operate relay VR breaks the energizing circuit of relay Z at contact 2801', and at contact 681)? connects up a resistance 69 tending to cause relay Z to release. Relay VR remains energized over 69.

Instead of disconnecting the speaking leads on the energizing of relay Z the arrangement can of course be adapted so that the alternating current is merely applied simultaneously to the two speaking leads.

Through the application of alternating current to the speaking leads whether the speaking leads are broken or not the subscriber in conversation is considerably inconvenienced. Since. however,

this only takes place at large intervals of time-- according to the assumption only once for every 10 impulses transmitted to the subscribers meter GZ-this inconvenience can be put up with especially since the subscriber provided with the fee indicator can deduce from this how often his fee indicator is operated. He is thus in a position to reduce the cost of the call by reducing the time taken.

Since the call is set up in the second fee zone positive battery is connected to every second contact in the bank of the metering impulse sender traversed by wiper .272 and to every twentieth contact in the contact bank of wiper cf! 2. When the call is completed and the receiver is replaced by subscriber Tn relays A and B release and disconnect relay VI. At contacts 12v! and I3vl the leads for transmitting the metering impulses are broken, and at contact Hlvl the driving magnet Daj is disconnected. At contact I501 the release magnet of the metering impulse sender is connected up: negative, ISM, 'l'Ikm-I, Dc, 341cc), and positive. The metering impulse sender Z) is restored to normal. v

The release of the discriminator ML and of the preselector VW takes place manner. v I

In the further embodiments (Figs. 2-4) the switching elements which correspond to those in Figure 1 have the same reference numbers as they have in this figure.

In the case of the embodiment'according to Fig. 2 the fee indicator is influenced at the end of the call. For this purpose the meter impulse sender is so constructed that it is stepped in one direction by a driving magnet Def! and is restored in steps to the rest position by a second driving magnet Dzf2. A relay V2 is also provided in any known which maintains the connecting path to the calling station so long as the meter advancing device Z) is in the working position. Relay V2 is oper ated over a contact 34702; which is closed on the first switching step of the meter impulse sender. It holds up relay C which controls the final disconnection of the connecting path and also the cut-off relay T of the subscribers line over contact 35122 and in addition relay Z1- independently V of the succeeding connecting devices in a manner which will not be described in' detail. Since during the advance of the meter impulse sender in the course of a call, no impulses are tobe transmitted to the fee indicator, the connection between the guarding and holding lead 4 and wiper 23 of the discriminator switch is broken at'connecessary to ensure a satisfactory operation of the fee indicator by the relay applying the operating current.

Each time that the wiper connected by the discriminator ML and which serves to operate the fee indicator reaches an earthed contact positive battery is applied to lead 4 over contacts 23, H121 and 361M and accordingly relay Z is energ zed in the subscribersline and transmits the ent.

metering impulses to the fee indicator in the manner described with reference to Fig. 1.

In the case of this embodiment the relay VR shown in Fig. 1 can be omitted. Alow resistance would then be connected up in its place.

If the fee indicator is to be operated by the same number of metering impulses as is the meter in the exchange the wiper .21! I and eflZ (Fig. 1') are not necessary. On the return motion of the metering impulse sender relay Z is then energized over the contacts eifecting the influencing of the subscribers meter in the exchange during the forward motion, for example, the contacts passed over by wiper zfZ. In arrangement of this sort the wiper traversing this contact bank is connected over wiper 22 of the discriminator switch and contact 391;! to lead 5 as shown in dotted lines in the figure by means of relay Vi. The branch from 4 over contacts 2611i, liter, etc., may then also be omitted.

In the case of the arrangement according to Fig. 3 a special relay GAT which characterizes the connection of the subscribers station to the fee indicator is provided. This is energized by the closing of contact 400. It closes its contacts Mgar, 42cm and 43mm. The provision of relay GA? enables both the maintenance of the connecting path to the calling subscriber by relay V2 and the switching through of the branch of lead t enabling the operation of relay Z at the subscribers line to take place only if a subscriber having a fee indicator has been connected to the connecting device common to subscribers with and without fee indicators.

A relay GAr can also be provided in the embodiment according to Fig. 1. The switching through of the branch of lead 4 to wiper 23 of the discriminator switch would then be dependent upon its energizing at contact Mom.

In th embodiment according to Fig. 4 two metering impulse senders ZfI, ZfII are provided one for operating the subscribers meter and the second for operating the fee indicator. The influencing of the subscribers meter takes place in the manner already described. On the first metering impulse the relay G corresponding to the trailic direction and thus to the value of the call, is energized in the metering circuit which passes over the wipers of the discriminator switch and of the metering impulse sender. Since it may again be assumed that the call is set up in the second traflic direction and accordingly wiper 22 of the switch ML rests on contact 24, relay G2 is energized over its winding I on the first metering impulse. It locks up over the oif normal contact 507C211, its contact 5Ig2 and its winding II.

There are assumed to be five traffic zones pres- For calls in the zone I a fee indicator is operated by one impulse for each time unit and for calls in the second zone by two impulses etc. Accordingly the first, sixth, eleventh etc., contacts in the contact bank of wiper cfIIl of the metering impulse sender Z II is characterized by relay (3! (first zone). The second, seventh, etc., contacts in the same contact bank are characterized by contacts of relay G2 etc. In order to ensure the transmission of two impulses for each unit of time in the case of calls in zone 2 relay G2 when it has been operated, over contact 5292, also brings up relay GI, thus in the case of calls in zone 2 contacts 5392 and S lgi are closed so that during the motion of the metering impulse sender Z II impulses are transmitted for energizing relay Z at the subscribers station when contacts. I, 2, 6, I, H, l2, etc., are passed over.

If a call is established to zone 3 then a relay G3 (not shown) characterizing this traffic direction energizes relay G2 over contact 559/3 and this energizes relay Gl over contact 52572. Contact 5W3 is then also closed and accordingly impulses are transmitted when the wiper ZfIII passes over contacts I, 2, 3, 6, l, 8, etc., of the contact bank.

. In the branch of lead d and in the circuit of relay V2 contacts Mom and Moor can be operated again or not. On the termination of a call in a system having a meter advancing device as in Fig. 4: the contacts lZvl and Idol are opened by the release of relay VI and contacts 360i and 3h)! closed. The impulse sender ZfII operates over: negative, iil'vi, 2021, off-normal contact 5l7cef1, DefII, 59w, 38, positive. Each time the wiper efIIl passes on to a contact to which positive battery is applied by one of the contacts 54m, h3g2, etc., relay Z is energized and transmits an impulse to the fee indicator. When the meter advancing device ZfII reaches the same position as is occupied by the meter advancing device ZfI relay W is energized over the special interconnected contact banks traversed by wipers silt and ZfII2. The circuit for this relay was prepared at off normal contact dbkefII on the first step of the meter impulse sender ZfII. It interrupts the further transmission of impulses to the relay Z by opening the circuit to the driving magnet DcfII at contacts 59w and the branch from lead i at contact 6921;. At contact iilw relay V2 is disconnected and releases and brings about the release of the connecting path to the calling station. Over contact 62w the release magnet Dal of the meter impulse sender Z1! is operated over off-normal contact' iifilcefl and the release of magnet Dal of the metering impulse sender Z II is operated over contact 'dkzfII. Both meter advancing devices are restored to normal. When they reach this position all the on normal contacts take up their rest position. The energized trafiic direction-characterizing relays GI, G2, etc., have releas d as have also the releasing magnets.

If in the case of the embodiment according to Fig. l the relay Gar characterizing the connection of a subscriber having a fee indicator is provided the connection of the driving magnet DzfII can be dependent upon the energizing of this relay as is indicated in the drawings by dotted lines. The meter advancing device ZJII would then not be set in motion when a subscriber not provided with a fee indicator was connected up. The release cf the only operated metering impulse sender Z/I in the case of such calls would then take place immediately on the release of relay VI independently of relay W.

The metering impulse sender Z in can transmit either the same or a smaller number of impulses than the metering impulse sender ZfI for each call. In the latter case naturally a switch having a smaller number of switching positions can be used for the metering impulse sender ZfII than for the metering impulse sender Z I.

By suitably wiring the two contact banks traversed by the wiper Z IIi and 27112 and by corresponding connecting potential to the contact bank traversed by wiper zfIIl the stepping of the fee indicator can be adjusted to the particular tariff obtaining. Also in the case of the embodiment according to Fig. 1 by varying the connection of potential to the contact banks traversed by the wipers of the metering impulse sender -Z1 the latter can be adjusted to any tariff desired. Instead of sending a metering impulse to the subscribers meter GZ at shorter or longer intervals of time as is. shown in Fig. 1 in which, in the case of connections in the zone I, an impulse is transmitted after each third step of the impulse sender which is advanced at definite intervals of time, and in the case of calls in the traffic zone 2 after every second switching step of the impulse sender, thesystem can be arranged so that on the commencement of each time interval, which has the same length in the case of all calls independent of the traflic zone with which the call is concerned, a varying'number of impulses can be transmitted in succession corresponding to the trafiic zone in question.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telephone system, subscribers lines, an exchange in which said lines terminate, means in the exchange for extending a connection from a calling one of said lines to another line, a fee indicator on each line responsive to metering impulses transmitted thereover both during and after a call, a meter for each line, means in the exchange for transmitting impulses to operate the meter of a calling line during a connection, and other means controlled thereby independently of the operation oi. .said meter for transmitting metering impulses over the line to the fee indicator.

2. In a telephone system, subscribers lines, an exchange in which said lines terminate, means in the exchange for extending a connection from a calling one of said lines to another line, a fee indicator on each line, a meter for each line, a controlling device, means for operating said device for transmitting a series of impulses to operate the meter of the calling line during a connection and for transmitting another series of impulses to the fee indicator of the calling line independently of the operation of said meters 3. A system as described in claim 2, in which the controlling device transmits a series of impulses to the meter during the connection and another series of impulses to the fee indicator on termination of the connection.

4. A system as described in claim 2, in which for the same connection, the number of impulses in the series transmitted to the fee indicator is less than the number in the series transmitted to after a call, a meter for each line, a first controlling device, a second controlling device, means in the'exchange for causing said first controlling device to transmit a series of impulses to the meter of the calling line during a connection and for causing said second] controlling device to transmit metering impulses tothe fee indicator of the calling line.

7.'A system as described in claim 6, in which the metering impulses transmitted from the second controlling device are controlled by the first controlling device.

8. In a system as described in claim 2, in whic the fee indicator receives impulses on termination of the connection, and means controlled by the controlling device for maintaining a connecting circuit between said device and the calling line.

9. A system as described in claim 6, in which for the same connection the number of metering impulses transmitted to the fee indicator by the second controlling device is less than the number of impulses in the series transmitted to the meter by the first controlling device.

10. A system as described in claim 6, in which the second controlling device transmits the metering impulses to the fee indicator on terminationof the connection. I I

11. In a system as described in claim 6, in which the fee indicator receives impulses on termination of a connection, and means controlled by one of the controlling devices for maintaining a connecting circuit between said device and the calling line.

12. In a system as described in claim 6, a zoning device and means for operating said device to control the number of metering impulses.

transmitted by the second controlling device.

13. In a system as described in claim 6, a zoning device and means for operating said zoning device when the first controlling device is operated, to control the number of impulses transmitted.

14. In a system as described in claim 6, a plurality of zones, a relay for each of the zones for controlling the number of impulses transmitted by said devices, one of the relays operated responsive to a connection between two lines, and means efiective on operation of any one of the relays to operate the relay of the next less remote zone.

15. In a system as described in claim 6, in which one series of impulses are transmitted over one lead to the meter of the calling line and the other series of impulses are transmitted over another lead to control the fee indicator of the calling line.

16. In a telephone system as claimed in claim 6, in which only certain of the subscribers lines are provided with fee indicators, the provision of means associated with each line having a fee indicator for rendering said second controlling device operative.

1'7. In a telephone system as claimed in claim 1, in which only certain of the subscribers lines are provided with fee indicators, the provision of means associated with each line having a fee indicator for rendering said transmitting means operative.

18. In a telephone systemasclaimed in claim 2, in which the series of impulses to the meter of the calling line are transmitted over one lead 

